Episodes
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Savannah Georgia is famous for its stunning historic architecture and unmatched Southern vibe. Basically all of it was saved from the wrecking ball by seven women, who saw the bulldozer and decided to Do Something About It.
To mark America250, a lovely story of a group of women who decided history was important. Together, they saved one of America's prettiest cities, and helped pioneer Historic Preservation in the process.
Join us on location at the Davenport House Museum in Savannah, to unveil America's first monument to preservationists.
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Watch the Savannah Seven monument unveiling event HERE.
Music in this episode:
"Star Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" by the US Marine Band; "Georgia on My Mind" by Hoagie Carmichael; "Weekend Croquet" by Christian Larssen (License code: H3HTM4DLOIZQW3VJ); "Length of Light" by Amulets; "Hard Hearted Hannah the Vamp of Savannah" by Paul Whiteman Orchestra; "Cest La Vie" by All Good Folks (License code: 0HEHHMLLRPM1ERFV).
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Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun could paint anyone so they looked full of character, and vibrantly alive. So Europe's aristocrats clamored for her brush. But when the French Revolution toppled thrones and chopped off heads, she had to run for her life.
For 12 years across Europe, she chased her lost Eden. Can you ever get back to the Good Old Days?
Our guest is Judith Lissauer Cromwell, author of Louise-Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Portrait of an Artist 1755-1842.
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Music in this episode generously shared by:
Haydn Symphony 85 (famed as Marie Antoinette's favorite!) recorded by Ars Lyrica Houston; J.S. Bach C Major Prelude and Brandenburg Concerto recorded by Kevin MacLeod; No. 8 Requiem by Esther Abrami; Apolcalyptic Echoes, Devil's Organ, and Frightmare by Jimena Contreras; Solo Cello Passion by Doug Maxwell; Alpine Bierhalle by Aaron Kenny; Length of Light by Amulets; Elegy by Wayne Jones; Catherine the Great's Russian Anthem; and Run Until Your Wings Grow by Late Night Feeler. Guillotine soundscape by Jorgemaca.
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[audio updated 6/02] Marooned on a frigid island in 1641, a young French woman single-handedly fought off polar bears, starvation, and loneliness, buried her lover, her maidservant, and her newborn child, and spent almost two full years completely alone -- except, of course, for the 100,000 demons whose screams were her nightly companions. That she lived through it all is a miracle - and a mystery: How did Marguerite de La Rocque survive the infamous "Isle of Demons" - and how much of this enigmatic tale can we ever actually know?
Olivia interviews Allegra Goodman, author of the award-winning historical novel Isola.
Music featured in this episode provided by Emily A. Sprague, Brian Bolger, pATCHES, Sir Cubworth, Track Tribe, and the Tudor Consort.
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Over the course of her 87 years, self-taught British entomologist Evelyn Cheesman went on eight solo insect-collecting expeditions across the South Pacific, collected almost 100,000 specimens, identified dozens (possibly hundreds!) of previously unknown species, and used her specialized knowledge of Oceania to save countless lives during WWII.
Meet the indomitable genius who persevered against unimaginable odds to build herself the life she wanted - no matter what stood in her way.
Our guest is Sarah Lonsdale, author of the book Wildly Different.
Music for this episode provided by: Emily Sprague, Jesse Gallagher, The Tides, Quincas Moreira, Kevin MacLeod, Brian Bolger, Asher Fulero, Myuu, Aaron Kenny, Geographer, and Nexus.
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For 61 years, Ou Shee Eng's tiny apartment in Seattle's Chinatown was the heart of a community of women. Possessing the rare ability to read and write Chinese, Ou Shee was the reader and scribe of everyone's letters. What was happening in China while this circle of women lived quietly in America, and why did they never speak of it?
Join Katie on location at the Wing-Luke Museum in Seattle, with guest Elana Eng Lim to contemplate belonging, kindness, and taking family secrets to the grave.
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Read Elana Lim's poignant essay My Grandmother's Hand HERE.
Music in this episode: "Lau Tzu Erhu" by Doug Maxwell; The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto; "Under the Moon" by Annette Hanshaw; "Spirit of Fire" and "The Sleeping Prophet" by Jesse Gallagher; "Popularity March" by Victor Band 1923 at the Library of Congress; "Long Road Ahead" by Kevin MacLeod; "Please" by Wayne Jones." FDR's Pearl Harbor speech in the public domain.
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After a lifetime of betrayal and abuse as an 18th century sex worker, Catherine Jemmat broke the ultimate social taboo: she wrote the truth about her life. Her "scandalous memoir" helped change the way English society thought about women's lives, and her second book introduced a radical new idea - that the true 'perpetrator' driving women into lives of so-called sin and degradation was, in fact, society itself.
Returning guest Miranda Garno Rossa of Marginalia Rare Books is back to introduce Olivia to this courageous, unexpected heroine.
Music featured in this episode provided by Amanda Setlik Wilson, The Herschel Ensemble, Kevin MacLeod, and Pablo Casals
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Juliette Gordon Low was a classic Southern Belle when she married her handsome prince. But she learned the hard way that "happily ever after" is a harmful fantasy.
We can do better for girls, she said: and we must.
Rallying all the women around her, she founded Girl Scouts of America, empowering girls to build strength and character, and blaze new trails. Her global impact today is immeasurable.
Join us on location at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum in Savannah, Georgia for this inspiring story of how women change the world.
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GET INVOLVED!
Check out the World Association of Girl Scouts & Girl Guides and Girl Scouts of America.
Buy cookies from your local girl scouts!
Get the delightful 1913 Girl Scout Handbook HERE, or read a free digital copy HERE.
Join us on our next adventure! What'sHerName TOURS.
This episode was recorded by Marc Nelson on location at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Special thanks to Shannon Browning-Mullis, Kate Walker, and Kristin Mikels, and to the participants of our 2025 What'sHerName Savannah Tour who joined in the fun!
Music featured in this episode: Serenade Op. 6 by Josef Suk, Monumental Journey by Jesse Gallagher, William Tell Overture b Rossini, Blue Danube Waltz and Vienna Blood Waltz by Strauss, Serenade by Schubert, Remembering Her by Esther Abrami, songs from 1956 Sing Together, Songs Girl Scouts Sing, and Annie Laurie by the 1924 National Quartet at the Library of Congress. Civil War sounds effects by Richard E Moore.
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In 1819 an itinerant Methodist preacher set off across a brand-new nation to spread the gospel to its people. Over the decades of her unique ministry, Jarena Lee would witness both incredible progress and maddening injustice - and publish the first spiritual autobiography ever written by an African American woman. But what message was her book actually meant to send?
Discover the incredible life of this forgotten spiritual powerhouse with our guests, Lisa Gring-Pemble and Martha Watson, authors of the fascinating new book Your Daughters Will Prophesy.
Music featured in this episode by: Marian Anderson, Alfred Hamilton, Ed Jones, The Tuskegee Institute Singers, The Georgia Singers and The Heavenly Gate Quartet.
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On a day like any other in 1896, Shaaw Tláa was washing dishes in a Yukon creek. But something shiny caught her eye... and the Klondike Gold Rush began. It's an insane chapter of world history: 100,000 ill-prepared dreamers from all over the world trekked into the subarctic. But what would become of the indigenous woman who started it all? Shaaw Tláa, known to the world as Kate Carmack, was suddenly one the richest people in the world, and she was married to a man called Lying George...
Join Katie on location at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park for this larger-than-life story of gold, greed, and destiny.
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Want to lean more about Shaaw Tlaa? We've got you covered:
Read Wealth Woman by Deb Vanasse
Learn more about Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Alaska and in Seattle
Read about more Women of the Gold Rush
Visit the US Postal Museum exhibit Stories from the Gold Rush
Read the delightful 1897 Klondike: A Manual for Goldseekers
Music featured in this episode: "Gold Rush" and "Five Card Shuffle" by Kevin MacLeod; "Roundup in the Prairie" by Aaron Kenny; "A Ghost Town" by Quincas Moreira; "Over the Mountain" and "Inconsciousness" by Mini Vandals; "The Quiet Aftermath" by Sir Cubworth; "Horses and Trains" by Jesse Gallagher; historical recordings of the US Marine Band; "Honky Tonkin'" by Doug Maxwell; "Through and Through" by Amulets.
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Uno Chiyo rose to fame in 20th century Japan as a writer, designer, domestic goddess, and fashion icon - mostly by marketing herself as just a scandalous woman. But this "Bad Girl of Good Housekeeping" was so much more than just a writer of sexy stories. Guest Rebecca Copeland helps us uncover the secrets of this enigmatic, fascinating woman.
Music featured in this episode provided by Hirano Aiko, JackJack9, Zac Zinger, Doug Maxwell, the Mini Vandals, Bounce Bay Records, and Kumi.
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To snowy Ontario, Canada for our 2026 Christmas Special!
Living out the dream of countless exhausted women, Laura Lee Davidson retreated to an island in the middle of a lake, and lived there alone through a long Canadian winter.
But she wasn't really alone. Wild creatures became her friends, and she was constantly the recipient of neighborly kindness from folks on the mainland.
Laura Lee's 1922 book about her winter on the island is now considered a classic of Canadian literature, and a vivid portrait of time gone by.
Katie reads some of her favorite excerpts from the book, and we all tag along with Laura Lee Davidson, retreating into a remote winter solitude, and marveling at the wonders of nature.
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Find Laura Lee Davidson's A Winter of Content HERE, or read a digital copy HERE. The What'sHerName SHOP is open, and check out our TOURS to join us on our next women's history adventure!
Music in this episode:
Deck the Halls, Air Prelude, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and Angels We Have Heard on High by Kevin MacLeod; The First Noel by Quincas Moreira; I Saw Three Ships by Audionautix; The Friendly Beasts by Marc Nelson; Unrequited by Asher Fulero; In the Bleak Midwinter by The Whalens; Growing Up by Nate Blaze; Auld Lang Syne by DJ Williams; The Anunnaki Return by Jesse Gallagher; When We Found the Horizon by Late Night Feeler.
With additional sounds from freesound.org including "St Marys River Dawn Chorus" and "Midnight Nature On The St. Marys River" by Ambient-X; and "Canadian loons" by Chance Media.
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At the recent Voices of Women Festival, we invited folks to pop into our ad-hoc recording box to record the 60-second story of their favorite historical woman. The results are a delight - and include some cast and crew members from Broadway's SUFFS!
The Voices of Women Festival was held in Salt Lake City, UT, in tandem with Broadway's SUFFS on tour. Thanks to Victor Hamburger and the Utah Women's History Initiative for making this happen!
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The What'sHerName SHOP is open! Also check out our TOURS to join us on upcoming women's history adventures.
Music in this episode: "Please" by Wayne Jones; "Yoga Style" and "Western Spaghetti" by Chris Haugen; "Cowboy Sting" by Kevin MacLeod; "Lao Tzu Erhu" by Doug Maxwell.
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Queen Mother Audley Moore was one of the most respected, most influential, longest-lasting influences on the US Black Nationalist movement, the Pan-African movement, the movement for Reparations, and the Black American organizing community in general across almost the entire 20th century.
So why have most of us never even heard her name?
Returning guest Ashley Farmer introduces Olivia to the incredible, unexpected force that was Queen Mother Audley Moore.
Music featured in this episode provided by Daniel Henderson and his Big Band, The New Hot 5, Cynthia Meng and Kim Onah, TrackTribe, Kevin Macleod, and Emmit Fenn.
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In 1917, Katharine Gibbs rebounded from personal tragedy in an unusual way: she decided to train a subversive, feminist army. Nearly broke and with just a high school education, Gibbs trained women as executive secretaries, building a famous school in just a few years. "Gibbs Girls" were so intelligent, competent, and polite, that no one could justify the dusty old notions that women belonged at home. The American workplace was changed forever.Our guest is Vanda Krefft, author of Expect Great Things! How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women. ____________________Check out our upcoming TOURS: witness women's history with What'sHerName and find your people! Music in this episode: Irving Aaronson & His Commanders, "If I Had You" and "All By Yourself in the Moonlight"; Nat Shikret & The Victor Orchestra, "The Things That Were Made for Love"; Johnny Marvin, "True Blue Lou"; Arden & Ohman, "We'll Be the Same"; Paul Whiteman Orchestra, "Love Me"; Fred Rich & His Orchestra, "Nobody But You"; Leo Reisman & His Orchestra, "I Kiss Your Hand Madame"; Amulets, "Resolver"; JVNA, "Athena". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Catherine Crowe was a wildly acclaimed Victorian novelist,
playwright, social critic and …ghost hunter? Her novels were as popular
as Charles Dickens,’ and Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Martineau, and
George Eliot were her ardent fans. And her pioneering catalog of ghosts
and the supernatural, The Night Side of Nature, was one of the first and most influential works to be adopted by the up-and-coming Spiritualist movement. So how did this incredibly talented, incredibly famous woman
disappear from our collective memory? The answer involves a few
misbehaving spirits, a little bit of nudity, and a whole lot of
mean-spirited gossip by one very famous frenemy.
For this year’s Halloween Special, Professor Ruth Heholt helps Olivia resurrect the wildly famous, wildly fascinating, wildly under-appreciated Catherine Crowe.
Selections from Catherine Crowe’s works read for us by Matthew Meikle and Emma Porter.
Music featured in this episode provided by Amanda Setlik Wilson, Kevin MacLeod, Doug Maxwell, Myuu, Brian Bolger, Jesse Gallagher, and the Weber State University Choirs and Orchestra.
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When a history-making Copper Age burial was unearthed in southern Spain in 2008, the world was stunned by the incredibly beautiful - and utterly unprecedented - artifacts found in the tomb of the so-called 'Ivory Man.' But fifteen years later, the archaeology world would be rocked by an even more astonishing discovery - that 5,000-year-old Ivory Man was actually an Ivory Lady! Archaeologist Marta Cintas Peña helps Olivia dig into this remarkable 'prehistorical mystery.'
Music featured in this episode provided by: Doug Maxwell, Emmet Fenn, I Think I Can Help You, Chris Haugen and the Mini Vandals
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Violeta Parra needs no introduction in Latin America: not only did she record the greatest album in Chilean history, she also collected two thousand folk songs, danced in the Poor Circus, sang in the streets, and --incredibly-- exhibited at the Louvre. Over the years she also broke ...*checks notes*... 48 guitars over people's heads.
Discover the larger than life story of Violeta Parra with our guest Ericka Verba, author of Thanks to Life, A Biography of Violeta Parra.
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Music featured in this episode:
Violeta Parra recorded by Alan Lomax in 1953 in the Lomax Digital Archive; Puerto Montt is Trembling, and Gracias a la Vida by Violeta Parra; Las Hermanas Parra recored for RCA Victor in 1952; Corazon Maldito and El Guilatun by Desborde; Pink Flamenco by Doug Maxwell; Sus Remedios by Casa Rosa; Cha Cha Chango by Quincas Moreira; Despair and Triumph by Kevin MacLeod; Spirit of Fire by Jesse Gallagher.
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Leonora Sansay lived through the last chaotic years of the Haitian Revolution - but the book she wrote about it would tell an entirely unexpected story.
Join returning guest Dr. Maria Windell as we explore the fascinatingly "messy-complicated" life of novelist Leonora Sansay - and uncover a fascinating link with "almost-Founding Father" (and 21st century Broadway icon) ...Vice President Aaron Burr?
Music featured in this episode provided by The Global Jukebox, the US Marine Band, Aaron Kenny, and Kevin MacLeod.
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135 years ago, Norwegian immigrant Thea Foss lived in a ramshackle driftwood houseboat on the coast of Tacoma Washington. Kind, capable, and hard-working, she was an anchor for hundreds more immigrants during America's Gilded Age. Thea built the largest maritime company west of the Mississippi- but more than that, she was the heart of the community. (Plus there's a boat parade, a catastrophic fire, and a truly delightful cow.) Join Katie on location in Tacoma Washington as we explore the question of how to build community. __________________________Fancy a Thea Foss MUG featuring her inspiring motto ALWAYS READY? The What'sHerName SHOP is open! Join us for our next adventure on a What'sHerName TOUR! If you're local to Tacoma, check out all the cool stuff Jennifer Trahan and Parks Tacoma are doing!Music featured in this episode: Lift Up by the Mini Vandals; Density & Time by Travelator; The Royal Vagabond by Jockers Dance Orchestra; Meditation Impromptu 1 by Kevin MacLeod; traditional Norwegian songs in the National Jukebox Collection at the Library of Congress. Sound effects were kindly shared by Kevin Luce and Klankbeeld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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In the 3rd century, a mysterious queen ruled the Kingdom of Yamatai (modern-day Japan) with a wise and steady hand. Her reign lasted almost 70 years - but what can we really know about her, when her people never wrote anything down? Anthropologist Laura Miller introduces Olivia to this elusive ancient queen.
Read more about Queen Himiko's continuing "rebirth" as a powerful cultural icon in Laura Miller's fascinating articles "Searching for Charisma: Queen Himiko" and "Rebranding Himiko: The Shaman Queen of Ancient History."
Music featured in this episode provided by Sotetsu Tanabe, Shigeo Fujino, Yasuda Shinpu, Gordon Inoue, and Nexus.
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